1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of digital computing devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to the coupling of a palm sized computing device having a relatively small integral display to a larger display device.
2. Background Information
Advances in microprocessor technology have led to the birth and increasing popularity of palm sized computing devices. Examples of palm sized computing devices include but not limited to the famous Palm series available from 3COM Inc of San Jose, Calif., Nino from Philips of the Netherlands, and Cassiopeia from Casio of. A hallmark feature of these devices is their compactness. Most of these devices are sufficiently small to be carried in one""s shirt pocket. However, the compactness does come with a price in that it limits the power of the processor, the amount of storage capacity, the size of the display screen, as well as the type of input devices that may be employed with these compact palm sized computing devices. As a result, the earlier generation of these devices typically come with limited processor power and storage capacity, as well as a small display screen, and a stylus is employed for providing user inputs. Thus, the earlier applications were limited to basic applications, such as calendar and address book applications. The typical continuous duration of usage of these devices was not very long. Occasionally, there are situations, such as bulk entry, do require prolonged working with the data. To address this need or the input/output shortcoming of these devices, most applications may also be executed on personal computers having greater power and storage capacity, larger display screens and conventional keyboard and cursor control devices. The palm sized computing devices would be provided with a mechanism to attach themselves to the personal computers to facilitate synchronization of the data. The mechanism is typically in the form of a separate cradle unit having a parallel interface to the personal computer.
Over the years, palm sized computing devices have become more powerful, and increasingly, they are equipped with more data storage capacity. As a result, a wide variety of more sophisticated applications, well beyond the original basic calendar and address book applications, may be made available on these palm sized computing devices. Either because of the volume of data or the inherent nature of these more sophisticated applications themselves, the continuous duration of usage is expected to be much longer than the first generation basic applications. However, the small display screen size and the employment of a stylus for use inputs remain an immutable and limiting characteristic of these devices. As a result, a need exist to provide the users of these computing devices with a more comfortable way of using these devices for a longer duration, to enable these more powerful and greater capacity palm sized computing devices to be used for more sophisticated applications directly.
The present invention is a display device having an integral docking station to facilitate the display device to be used in conjunction with a palm sized computing device for applications executing on the palm sized computing device. The display device includes a flat panel display, a display controller, a microcontroller, a docking station including a communication interface, and a chassis integrally housing the earlier enumerated elements. Together, the enumerated elements facilitate removable coupling of the palm sized computing device to the display device to allow the flat panel display to be used in conjunction with said palm sized computing device under the control of said microcontroller for applications executing on said palm sized computing device. In other embodiments, other extended I/O capabilities, such as storage media, keyboard and cursor control are also provided. In yet other embodiments, the display devcie is included as an integral feature of an article of manufacture, such as a furnishing item.